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BRAZIL (AFP) - A cat trained by prisoners to deliver cell phones and tools to dig tunnels was caught at a jail in northeastern Brazil after sneaking in with forbidden items strapped to its body.
"An agent saw the cat and went to look at it closely because something about it seemed wrong," Marcelo Avelino, the head of the prison guards' union, told the O Globo newspaper.
The agent found a bag tied to the animal's body filled with saw blades and drill parts for concrete drilling and digging tunnels, along with a cell phone complete with...

Mandi Steele, Fulton Sun
Sparky, a 1-year-old dachshund, looks like your typical wiener dog, but this little guy is rather special -- the dog is deaf but understands a number of commands in sign language, reports the Fulton Sun.
The hard of hearing pooch got his start in a Puppies for Parole training program at the South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Mo. The program pairs adoptable pups with prison inmates, and in his eight weeks of training Sparky learned signs for "no," "sit," "lay down," "stay," "stop" and "heel." After that, the inmates thought the dog should live with people who could appreciate his skills, so he was relocated to his new home at the Missouri School for the D...

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Betty White Creates Charitable Clothing Line
This octogenarian isn't only "Hot in Cleveland." She's hot everywhere! In news that won't surprise any of White's fans, she's found yet another way to use her fame to help animals; this time via the medium of fashion. White is launching a line t-shirts and hoodies with her face and name, reports WWD. A portion of the profits will benefit one of the actress's favorite organizations: the Morris Animal Foundation.
Iams Prescription Cat Food Recall
Proctor & Gamble is recalling two lots of Iams prescription cat food due to salmonella concerns, reports the New York Times. The recall includes Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal in 5.5-p...

At a community re-entry facility in Rockwell City, Iowa, neglected animals and prison inmates on the verge of release are helping each other reintegrate into society. Rescued horses like Silver Bullet and Sport are rehabilitated by prisoners to get healthy and to have their faith restored in people after suffering neglect and abuse at human hands. In return, the inmates are given the opportunity to learn similar tenants themselves by adopting responsibilities and forming bonds of compassion, with human and animal "teaching each other to care."...